Nectar larcenists extract nectar from flowers without pollinating them. A reasonable expectation is that any form of nectar larceny should have a detrimental effect on the plant’s reproductive success. However, studies reveal an entire range of effects, from highly negative to highly positive. This variation in effect may be partly explained by additional, unmeasured, effects of nectar larcenists on plants. In a study system where two ant species Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabr.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerd.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) act as nectar larcenists, we examined the effect of larceny on the female reproductive success of Clerodendrum infortunatum Gaertn. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) in rain forest fragments of the Western Ghats, India. This was done through a combination of field observations and a series of field experiments looking at the effects of excluding ants from inflorescences. We found that T. destructor reduces fruit set considerably. Rather than this being a consequence of nectar larceny, however, our experiments show that the negative effect arises instead from the herbivorous behavior of the ant. At a population level, both ant species prefer edges over interiors of forest patches, spatially concentrating the interaction zone to forest edges. Simultaneously considering multiple ecological interactions and disentangling their relative contributions might explain the large variation across species in the observed effect of larceny. The overall population effect of nectar larceny and herbivory is likely to depend on the spatial structuring of plants and ants.

A piece on spiders for iWonder, an Indian magazine for science middle school teachers. Fun and fascinating facts about spiders to talk and discuss about in the classroom. Lots of activities that teachers can do with students in and outside the class room.

Kaveri and Shivi go looking for spiders, along with their friend Shama. A story for young children commissioned and published by Pratham Books', StoryWeaver platform.Guest editor: Bijal Vachharajani, Art: Pia Meenakshi

Sarus Cranes (Antigone antigone) in south Asia breed during the rainy season (monsoon), with few
nests initiated outside of the monsoon. Several hypothesis have been put forth to explain the unseasonal nesting
outside the monsoon, but a careful evaluation of the hypotheses has been absent. Using a multi-year (2004-2017),
multi-scale (four Indian states) data set, this study explored the factors potentially responsible for unseasonal nesting
by Sarus Cranes. Nests outside the monsoon were very rare (0.3% of all nests) and were initiated when Sarus
Crane pairs were in areas with artificial water sources (irrigation canals or reservoirs) or faced abnormal monsoonal
conditions. Unseasonal nests were initiated only when breeding pairs had been unsuccessful in raising chicks in
the previous primary nesting season. Altered cropping patterns associated with increased artificial irrigation and
changing rainfall patterns appear responsible for unseasonal nesting in Sarus Cranes. Nesting of this species outside
the monsoon may increase in response to the increasing changes in cropping patterns and changing rainfall
conditions.

Aims:
Multiple antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia
coli of wild vertebrates is a global concern with scarce assessments on the
subject from developing countries that have high human-wild species interactions.
We studied the ecology of E. coli in a wintering population of Egyptian
Vultures in India to understand temporal changes in both E. coli strains
and patterns of antimicrobial resistance.

Methods
and Results: We ribotyped E. coli
strains and assessed antimicrobial resistance from wintering vultures at a
highly synanthropic carcass dump in north-west India. Both E. coli
prevalence (90.32%) and resistance to multiple antimicrobials (71.43%) were
very high. Clear temporal patterns were apparent. Diversity of strains changed
and homogenized at the end of the Vultures’ wintering period, while the resistance
pattern showed significantly difference inter-annually, as well as between
arrival and departing individuals within a wintering cycle.

Hornbills are conspicuous and well-known birds with nine species occurring in India. While several hornbill species have been studied extensively in some parts of India, there is a knowledge gap about their distribution, population size, and adaptations to rapidly changing habitats. Most research and conservation efforts are often focused on single or few species within protected areas. Hornbill Watch (henceforth, HW) is an online platform created specifically to record public sightings of hornbills from anywhere in India. The idea is to encourage birders, nature enthusiasts, and photographers to share information on hornbill presence, behaviour, and conservation-related issues. The main objective is to generate baseline information using sight records and enable long-term monitoring of these species by encouraging citizen participation. HW was launched in June 2014, and up to February 2017 had received 938 records from 430 contributors across India, from 26 States and three Union Territories. States from where most sightings were reported were Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. Species were reported from both inside (41%), and outside Protected Areas (59%; henceforth, PA). Hornbills were reported from 70 PAs. Fifty-one records of nesting were reported for all species from inside and outside PAs, while 27 records of communal roosting were reported for some species. The data obtained thus far has yielded some useful information and insights,and has the potential for enhancing our understanding of current hornbill distribution patterns, and for identifying important sites for conservation/protection.

Journal Article

2018

Breeding biology of Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis in tropical rainforest and human-modified plantation landscape in Western Ghats, India

Loss of mature tropical forests to agricultural expansion often creates landscapes with forest fragments embedded within a matrix of human-modified habitats and land uses. Such habitat fragmentation may be detrimental to species with specialized habitat and foraging requirements and their ability to persist in such landscapes may depend on their adaptability to habitat modification. Great Hornbills Buceros bicornis, among the largest birds in Asian tropical rainforests, depend on large trees for nesting and a diverse array of patchily distributed fruiting trees. In the human-modified landscape of the Anamalai Hills, India, we compared the breeding biology and nesting behaviour of Great Hornbills in contiguous rainforest (N=3 nests) and in modified habitat consisting of coffee plantations and rainforest fragments (N=5 nests). The nesting cycle of seven of the eight nests monitored varied between 114 and 130 days. Nest provisioning behaviour was similar in contiguous forest and modified habitat in terms of visitation and food delivery rates, but visitation tended to be higher and food delivery rate lower during the nestling phase than during incubation. As expected, tree density and native food plant diversity were lower in modified habitat than in continuous forest. The diversity of food provisioned was lower in modified habitat with a 57.5% dietary overlap with contiguous forest. Hornbills in the modified habitat of coffee plantations used non-native tree species for nesting and foraging, indicating their adaptability to modified landscapes.